REO Speedwagon Cancels Upcoming SeaWorld Performance

The list of bands who will not perform at SeaWorld just added another member. Last night, REO Speedwagon pulled out of an upcoming gig at the Orlando popular theme park.

"Due to concerns regarding our February 16th appearance at SeaWorld, we have chosen to cancel the performance," the band wrote on its Facebook page.

Although they did not specify the reason, it's believed that the veteran rockers pulled out due to pressure on SeaWorld as a result of the documentary 'Blackfish.' The film is about a 2010 death of a SeaWorld trainer by a killer whale, shedding a harsh light on the practice of keeping animals who are kept incaptivity.

REO Speedwagon becomes the third classic rock act this week to cancel their slots at SeaWorld's ""Bands, BBQ and Brew" series, joining Heart and Cheap Trick, as well as Willie Nelson, Trisha Yearwood and Barenaked Ladies. In addition, Joan Jett has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the theme park demanding that they stop using her music in their shows. Last year, Tommy Lee, a longtime member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), wrote a similar letter to SeaWorld's San Diego venue, adding that the loud volume of the music at SeaWorld affects the animals' ability to communicate with each other.

SeaWorld has not made an official statement in reaction to Speedwagon's decision, but rather told CNN that the statement that spokesman Nick Gollattscheck issued in response to the other cancellations - "We expect that other artists will be targeted in this campaign" - should be applied here as well.